Surfing Scientist
Start a local outpost of Surfrider’s Smartfin campaign, in which surfer attach special fins to their boards to track various metrics of ocean health.
Are you a surfer? And/or do you live in a community near the beach where lots of people surf? The Smartfin is a surfboard fin with sensors that measure multiple ocean parameters including temperature, location, and wave characteristics (sensors that measure pH, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll are in development). Using an app on their phone, the data surfers acquire while in the water becomes accessible in near real-time to the world-wide scientific community. But Smartfin is not only about the data. It is also an effort to connect surfers and their communities to larger issues affecting ocean health. Using the data collected with Smartfin, scientists will be able to better understand trends in ocean warming and acidification and mobilize our communities to take action to combat these problems caused by climate change. Even if you’re not a surfer you can encourage those who are to use Smartfins!
How do I get started? First, spend some time learning about how climate change is affecting our oceans, and on the data that scientists need to better understand these trends and their consequences. There’s lots of useful information on the Surfrider Foundation website. Surfrider currently operates in a small number of communities but is soliciting interest as it determines where to expand its reach. Have a look at the surf community in your region, and then make a pitch for Surfrider to expand to your community. And download our PDF for more tips on how to carry out your project.
How long will this take me? We estimate that it will take between 20-25 hours of research and advocacy to get a Surfrider program started in a new community. Beyond that, you’ll have to make the pitch to surfers to attach the smartfins and then upload the data to the database.
How do I expand this narrative arc? There are a ton of great organizations out there that track and try to improve water quality.
For example, check out The Microplastic Survey where you can organize a water sampling survey in your town, looking for microplastics.
Join the citizen science project Crowd The Tap to monitor water quality in your area.
You could also pivot to a community beach clean and organize a clean up of an area of beach near you.
Running a “Ban the Plastic” campaign in your school or town is also a great idea. See this organization for step by step instructions on how to launch such a campaign.
Physically build and deploy satellite-tracked Student Drifters that track ocean currents and validate ocean models.
Apply for a grant from the Captain Planet Foundation for your own ocean related project.
HOT TIP: This is a project that makes a lot of sense if you’re a surfer or live in or near a search community and are interested in environmentalism, science and/or ocean health. It’s a little less compelling if Smartfin isn’t connected to another academic interest or hobby.